drew back as he approached the scene of danger. The Moor was more robust
and brawny than was common with his countrymen. His visor was closed; he
bore a huge buckler and a ponderous lance; his cimeter was of a Damascus
blade, and his richly ornamented dagger was wrought by an artificer
of Fez. He was Yarfe, the most insolent, yet valiant, of the Moslem
warriors. As he rode slowly along in front of the army, his very steed,
prancing with fiery eye and distended nostril, seemed to breathe defiance
to the Christians.

But what were the feelings of the Spanish cavaliers when they beheld,
tied to the tail of his steed, and dragged in the dust, the inscription
"Ave Maria," which Hernando Perez del Pulgar had affixed to the door of
the mosque! A burst of horror and indignation broke forth from the
army. Hernando del Pulgar was not at hand, but one of his young
companions-in-arms, Garcilasso de la Vega by name, putting spurs to his
horse, galloped to the hamlet of Zubia, threw himself on his knees before
the King, and besought permission to accept the defiance of this insolent
infidel and to revenge the insult offered to our blessed Lady. The
request was too pious to be refused; Garcilasso remounted his steed; he
closed his helmet, graced by four sable plumes, grasped his buckler of
Flemish workmanship and his lance of matchless temper, and defied the
haughty Moor in the midst of his career.

A combat took place in view of the two armies and of the Castilian court.
The Moor was powerful in wielding his weapons and dexterous in managing
his steed. He was of larger frame than Garcilasso and more completely
armed; and the Christians trembled for their champion. The shock of their
encounter was dreadful; their lances were shivered and sent up splinters
in the air. Garcilasso was thrown back in the saddle--his horse made a
wild career before he could recover, gather up the reins, and return
to the conflict. They now encountered each other with swords. The Moor
circled round his opponent as hawk circles whereabout to make a swoop;
his Arabian steed obeyed his rider with matchless quickness; at every
attack of the infidel it seemed as if the Christian knight must sink
beneath his flashing cimeter. But if Garcilasso were inferior to him in
power, he was superior in agility; many of his blows he parried; others
he received upon his Flemish shield, which was proof against the Damascus
blade. The blood streamed from numerous wounds receiv